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Trio freed of West Berbice taxi driver murder
(Kaieteur News) – A 12- member jury on Thursday returned a unanimous not guilty verdict which saw the three prime suspects in the murder of Mohamed Haniff walk out of the court as free men.
Fifty-seven-year-old Devon McAlmont, 27-year-old Ivan Lindo, and 34-year-old Royston Dowden were each acquitted in the matter for which they pleaded not guilty and were remanded to prison back in 2020, while awaiting their fate. The three men were brought before Justice Sandil Kissoon to answer the charge of murder of Haniff, 47, called ‘Raymond.’
Freed: Devon McAlmont, Ivan Lindo, and Royston Dowden.
Haniff, a taxi driver, was allegedly murdered on September 12, 2020 following an invasion at his Experiment, West Coast Berbice home, days after he had returned home from St. Marteen where he stayed for two years. He was dealt a chop to his head in what supposedly was a robbery effort, reports stated.
Police said three masked men intruded Haniff’s home where he was beaten, while demands were made for cash and jewelry. His wife was said to be unharmed during the attack.
Killed: Mohamed Haniff
The state was represented by prosecutor Cecila Corbin.
Following testimonies of witnesses, including police officers, Haniff’s wife and son, along with relatives of the victim, the jury deliberated and determined that the prosecution did not present a strong enough case against the accused to confirm their guilt.
Lawyers for the defense included Horatio Edmonson, Vinay K. Punwa in association with Chandra Sohan, and Kevin Morgan, for Lindo, McAlmont, and Dowden respectively.
Throughout the trial, defense attorneys grilled Bibi Haniff, the wife of the deceased on the possibility of her setting up the hit on her husband and having it be camouflaged as a robbery.
The widow firmly maintained her innocence. She told the court that at the time of the invasion, she was on the floor and could not have rendered any assistance to her husband. Back in 2020, she and her son were arrested by the police and detained for 72 hours.
She also related that she did not recognise the men when she took part in an identification parade.
The defense held that her accounts were inaccurate, and that she has not been wholly truthful to the police.
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